Seventh Suspect Arrested in Shooting at Farmers Market on Swindell Road in Lakeland

Tuesday

Dec 4, 2012 at 3:49 PMDec 4, 2012 at 4:07 PM

When seven teens pulled into the back of the Lakeland Farmers Market in late November, they had 11 firearms among them, deputies say. Minutes later, 79-year-old Ralph Harper had been shot in the stomach during a robbery of his gun and coin booth.

By ELVIA MALAGON & CLIFFORD PARODYTHE LEDGER

LAKELAND | When seven teens pulled into the back of the Lakeland Farmers Market in late November, they had 11 firearms among them, deputies say.

Minutes later, 79-year-old Ralph Harper had been shot in the stomach during a robbery of his gun and coin booth.

On Tuesday, Polk County deputies took into custody the youngest of the suspects, 13-year-old Davion Smith. The other six, ranging in age from 14 to 18, were arrested over the weekend. Each is charged with armed robbery and attempted murder.

Polk County deputies outlined in an arrest affidavit how the teens planned the Nov. 24 armed robbery.

While driving around town the night before, Khalid Preston, 17, and Bernardo Copeland, 18, laid out a plan to the group to rob the gun vendor at the market, according to an arrest affidavit.

One of the teens, D'ante Morris, 15, told deputies he was originally hesitant to participate, but met up with the other teens at the home of Kendall Wainwright at 5:30 a.m. the day of the shooting.

They loaded 11 firearms into Preston's mother's vehicle and headed to the market as vendors were setting up for the day, according to the affidavit.

Copeland and Wainwright first approached the booth and asked about purchasing a firearm, but Harper refused, later telling investigators the teens looked too young.

The two returned to the booth at 7:45 a.m. with Morris, Dwight Martin, 16, Ladarius Johnson, 16, and Smith — each of them armed — while Preston waited in his mother's car.

Copeland used a hammer to smash the glass cases before he and Wainwright fired at least two shots at Harper, the affidavit says.

Morris told deputies that Wainwright fired a shot at Harper when it appeared the booth owner was reaching for a firearm.

The group drove back to Wainwright's house and hid the firearms under his bed, the affidavit says.

Copeland seemed upset and told the group, "I can't believe I shot that old man," according to the affidavit.

Harper identified Wainwright Saturday as the person who shot him, according to the arrest affidavit.

The firearms the teens were armed with included a semi-automatic pistol, shotguns and handguns, according to the affidavit. A sheriff's office spokeswoman would not comment on whether all the weapons were loaded.

[ Elvia Malagon can be reached at 863-802-7550. Clifford Parody can be reached at 863-802- 7516. ]